Republicans and their media representatives are trying to rationalize the low approval ratings for Bush, by leaving out crucial information taken from recent polls.

Historically, presidents in their second term have performed much better at this point in their presidency (1):

Truman	   57%  March 6-11, 1949
Eisenhower 65%	March 15-20, 1957
Johnson	   69%	March 18-23, 1965 
Nixon	   57%	March 30-April 2, 1973 
Reagan	   56%	March 8-11, 1985 
Clinton	   59%	March 24-26, 1997
Bush	   45%	March 21-23, 2005

But the Republicans and their media advocates continue to refer to him as the “popular president,” with “wide-spread support.”

Reference:
1. Media Matters